Wrench



June 2, 1931. c. M. STEWART 1,808,268

WRENCH Filed Oct. 4, 1950 Stan art Patented June 2, 1931 PATENT ()F'FICECHARLES M. STEWART, OF ALLSTON, MASSACHUSETTS WRENCH Application filedOctober 4, 1930. Serial No. 486,423.

The present invention relates to wrenches and more particularly to areversible socket Wrench.

An object of this invention is to provide a v wrench of this characterwhich is so constructed. that it may be used for either tightening orloosening a nut or bolt and which embodies a reversible ratchetmechanism.

Another object of this invention is to pro- 0 vide in a wrench of thischaracter anti-friction means for the rotating elements of the wrench soas to facilitate the operation of the wrench in tightening or looseningnuts or bolts.

A further object of this invention is to provide a wrench of thischaracter which may be used with removable socket elements so as topermit the use of the wrenchfor loosening or tightening the varioussizes of bolts or nuts.

The above and various other objects and advantages of this inventionwill in part be described in and in part be understood from thefollowing detailed description of the present preferred embodiment, thesame being illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein t Figure 1is a detail top plan view of a device constructed according to thepreferred embodiment of this invention;

Figure 2 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view partly in detail takenon the line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is an enlarged sectional view taken on the line 4-4 of Figure2.

Referring to the drawing wherein like numerals of reference designatecorresponding parts throughout the several views, the numeral 10designates generally a handle of suitable configuration which isprovided at the outer end thereof with an annulus 11 and an intermediateenlarged portion 12, the env larged portion 12 being longitudinallydisposed with respect to the handle 10.

A spindle 14 is rotatably mounted in the annulus 11 and in order tofacilitate rotation of the spindle 14, antifriction elements 15 aremounted within the annulus 11 and engage the spindle 14 so as to preventlateral movement of the spindle with respect to the handle structure 10and at the same time permit the free rotation thereof, it beingunderstood that the spindle 14 is preferably mounted at substantiallyright angles to the longitudinal axis of the handle 10.

The body of the spindle 14 is preferably round and the outer ends of thespindle are restricted as at 16 and are preferably square or angular incross section so as to removably receive a nut or bolt engaging member17. The member 17 comprises an inner plate section 18 and an outersocketed portion 19, the inner plate section 18 being relatively largerin diameter than the outer section 19. The inner surface of the platesection 18 is provided with a plurality of radially inclined teeth 20,and a rockable pawl member 21 is loosely positioned in the slot 18 ofthe intermediate section 12, the pawl member 2] being rockably mountedon a pivot or pintle 22.

The outer end of the pawl member 21 is provided with outstanding andoppositely directed pawl members 23, the members 23 being so constructedas to turn the nut engaging member 17 mounted on one side of the annulus11 in a clockwise direction, and to turn the member 17 on the oppositeside of the annulus in an anti-clockwise direction so as to eithertighten or loosen a nut or bolt. In like manner, the ratchet teeth 20 onone of r the plate members 18 are so positioned as to turn the member 17in a clockwise direction on one side of the annulus 11 and to turn themember 17 on the opposite side in an anticlockwise direction.

An eccentric ring or annulus 24 is loosely mounted about theintermediate section .12 and is provided with inwardly extendingeccentric portions 25, the eccentric portions 25 being adapted to engagespringsx26 carried on the opposite faces of the pawl member 22intermediate the opposite ends of the pawl member. The inwardlyprojecting portions 25 are. so positioned within the circle of theannulus 24that when one of the projections 2;5 engages the spring 26',the other projection 25' is positioned out of alignment with theopposite spring 26 so as to permit the opposite spring to engage theinner periphery of the ring 2 1-, the spring 26 which is in contact withthe projection 25 being placed under tension by the projection 25 so asto swing the pawl member 21 toward the ratchet portion 18 on theopposite side or diametrically opposed to the projection 25.

In order to retain the nut engaging member 17 on the spindle 14, a setscrew 27 or the like is threadably mounted in the nut engaging member 17and is adapted to engage the restricted outer end portions 16 of thespindle so as to prevent longitudinal, movement of the nut engagingmember 17 with respect to the spindle. However, if desired, the ratchetportion 18 may be constructed separately from the socket portion 19 sothat when the nut engaging member 17 is changed, it is only necessary toremove the socket portion 19.

In the operation of this device, the annulus or eccentric ring member 24may be rotated about the enlarged body portion 12 so as to swing thepawl 21 into engagement with the selected ratchet 18 whereupon thesocket or n-ut engaging member 17 may be positioned on the head of thebolt or about. the nut. The handle 10 may then be oscillated or swung soas to carry therewith the pawl 21 and I coactively rotate therewith theratchet portion 18 and the'socketportion 19.

It will be obvious from the foregoing that the wrench member hereindisclosed may be used so as to either insert or remove a nut or boltwithout removing the wrench from the bolt until the operation has beencompleted and that where a nut or bolt is positioned in a relativelyconfined space, the wrench may be oscillated or rocked sufficiently topermit the ratchet 21 to successively engage the ratchet teeth 20. Itwill be noted that by mountingthe teeth 20 on a round plate so that theedges of the teeth are radially inclined with the axis of the spindle,the outer portions of the teeth will be larger than the inner portions,thereby providing relatively reinforced teeth which are reinforced atthe point of the greatest pressure, namely, the outer edges thereof.

It is of course understood that various changes and modifications may bemade in the details of constructionand design of the above specificallydescribed embodiment of this invention without departing from the spiritthereof, such changes and modifications being restricted only by thescope of the following claims What is claimed is:

1. A wrench of the character described 1 comprising a handle, an annulusmounted on spindle and extending outwardly of the ratchet member, and aneccentric'ring car- 7 tatably mounted in said annulus, said spindlehaving restricted opposite end portions, a

removable nut engaging member mounted on each end of the spindle, saidnut engaging member having a toothed inner face portion, a reversiblepawl, means for. rockably mounting said pawl in the slot of saidintermediate portion, yieldable means carried by the pawl,

and an eccentric member loosely carried by said intermediate portion andengaging said yieldable means whereby to yieldably swing said pawl intoengagement with a selected face of one of said nut engaging members.

'3. A wrench of the character described comprising a. handle, an annulussecured to the outer end of the handle, a spindle rotatably mounted insaid annulus, anti-friction elements carried by said annulus and engagiably mounted in said handle, yieldable means carried by said pawl, arotatable annulus loosely mounted on said handle, and inwardlyprojecting means carried by said latter annulus and adapted forengagement with said yieldable means whereby to swing said pawl intoengagement with a selected nut-engaging member. y

In testimony whereof I hereunto afiixmy signature.

CHARLES M. STEWART.

